Beloved Pocono Mountain teacher mourned

Some lives are best measured not in years but in the lives they've forever changed. That's probably the best way to describe Meredith Lamm-Ashton.

HOWARD FRANK

Some lives are best measured not in years but in the lives they've forever changed. That's probably the best way to describe Meredith Lamm-Ashton.

A beloved music teacher at Pocono Mountain West Junior High School, Lamm-Ashton, 37, died Wednesday after a long fight with ovarian cancer. She was the school's choral director and the director of the district gospel choir, Urbane. She had been with the district 14 years.

"She believed that singing with soul and feeling is more important than singing all the perfect notes with perfect technique," said former student Michelle Rescigno, 22.

Lamm-Ashton taught Rescigno about commitment.

"Her philosophy was when you connect yourself to your work, you give 110 percent of yourself. It was specifically about music, but it translated into everything.

"It was not about the choir. She was an educator, someone who was going to help you grow," Rescigno said.

Rescigno was in the middle of a teleseminar when something told her to check her Facebook page.

That's when she learned the news.

"You knew it would happen, and you try to be mentally ready, but you can only prepare yourself so much," she said.

The last time Rescigno saw Lamm-Ashton was in February. She noticed her former teacher was coughing, and could tell it wasn't just a cold.

Rescigno gave her a hug. She was living in New York City and saw Lamm-Ashton infrequently.

"So every time I saw her it kind of felt like a goodbye," Rescigno said.

Beyond her dedication to music, Lamm-Ashton volunteered with animal rescues, including transporting puppies at her own expense, according to her friend, Kim Hart.

"She bought shoes and simple necessities for children in her school who otherwise would have gone without," Hart said.

How she touched so many lives was evident in the outpouring of grief that resonated across the school community.

"Words cannot begin to describe how devastated our family is," wrote Kathryn Fruauff. "... She will always be remembered as a remarkable teacher who left a huge impact on my children. She taught these kids to love music and themselves and that they were worthy of respect."

Rebecca Whitman is among those Lamm-Ashton particularly touched.

Whitman lost her father to lung cancer in October 2012. Three days later, the Pocono Mountain West Junior High School student's 19-year-old sister, Sonya, was diagnosed with a relapse of bone cancer.

As Sonya Whitman was about to begin chemo for bone cancer, Lamm-Ashton showed up at her home with a bunch of wigs.

"She showed me how to put them on and said 'Here, you could borrow some of these since I know you'll be needing them soon,'" Sonya Whitman said.

During her own struggles, Lamm-Ashton learned that music was therapeutic and wanted that same relief for Rebecca.

So Lamm-Ashton, along with her parents, brought a piano to Rebecca's home. It is a living monument to the teacher's kindness.

"Mrs. Ashton once said to me, 'A home is not a home without a dog and a piano,'" said Rebecca's mother, Olga. "That piano has been complete therapy, not just for Rebecca but for the entire family. Now the dog sits next to Rebecca every time she plays. Mrs. Ashton will always live in our home and our hearts."